Extrusion is a time-consuming process of loading material into a cylinder, vacuuming air out of the cylinder, and slowly extending a ram into the loaded material cylinder to extrude the material out through a die. An operator who has loaded the material will be idle until the extrusion cycle is completed. To reduce idle time of the operator, two machines might be placed on either side of the operator to be alternately loaded. Still, production is inefficient because during the loading of the material cylinder, the machine is idle until the operator has completed loading.
In addition, there are problems with the supporting and removal of the extrusion as the machine cycle is completed. Extrusions vary in shape and in material composition. Some of the extrusions require special handling during the extrusion process because of the brittle nature of its material composition or the thin wall design of its shape. Some will require gravity to assist in the extrusion through the die. Extrusion apparatuses of this nature are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,638,469 and 3,898,831.
The object of the present invention is to provide an increase in production of the extruded product and make efficient use of the operator's time by providing for manual or automatic loading of an empty material cylinder at the same time the press extrudes material from the other material cylinder.
Another object of the invention relates to the incorporation into the improved apparatus of a de-airing mechanism which allows access for cleaning of the piston assembly with each cycle of the extruder if required. Similarly, the improved apparatus allows the use of angle locations of the extrusion cylinder for successful unloading of the extruded material to prevent damage.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent in the following description and claims in which the principles of the invention are set forth together with details to enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains to practice the invention all in connection with the best mode presently contemplated for the invention.